The Teaching Sequence in Special Education

Phil Foreman and Ian Dempsey (1998)

Special Education Centre, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308

In order for students with special needs to benefit from education, planned instructional programs are necessary. It is
also suggested that all students would benefit from such an approach. Teachers must assess students, plan, implement
and evaluate their teaching programs. This process of instruction is presented in a circular graphic to depict a
continuous Teaching Sequence.

The first step in the teaching sequence is a thorough understanding of students' strengths, interests and needs.
Assessment techniques that provides information about the educational needs of individual students is necessary in
order to develop successful education programs that address the particular needs of students with special needs. The
assessment of the students' strengths and interests will provide additional information that will assist in developing
programs that are relevant and motivational to the student. Qualitative, quantitative and curriculum based
assessments are considered and selection of a technique is based on the one that most closely matches the needs of the
student and that can be used for monitoring students' progress on a regular basis. Various examples are provided that
cover a wide range of ages, educational settings and educational content.

Based on information gained from these assessments, planning and preparation of teaching programs are carried out.
The process of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) is considered as a method to ensure all those with an interest in
the students' education have an input into the planning of the education program. Task analysis is introduced as a
technique that can be used to ensure that the steps of the program are sufficiently small enough to ensure that the
students' progress is at a comfortable pace. When planning the content of the program, developmentally appropriate,
functionally relevant and age appropriateness are principles that need consideration. Teaching strategies that meet the
individual needs of the student, such as teacher instruction, cooperative learning and peer tutoring are considered
along with the selection of the most appropriate media and materials to be used in the program. A cross section of
examples support the material covered in this section.

Implementation of these teaching programs are considered in two parts. The first considers the implementation of
teaching programs in a special education setting and the second part considers implementing the teaching program in
an inclusive setting or regular classroom. Teaching in a special education setting provides the opportunity to teach
individually, in small groups, in class groups or to use a combination of the three. Teaching new skills is best
accomplished with the individual student, while teaching similar content can be achieved with small groups. The
ability to adjust content and instruction to the individual needs, interests and strengths of the student is paramount for
students with special needs.

Structured lessons, teaching techniques and documenting progress are important strategies for implementing
educational programs for students with special needs. Three phases of a good lesson are opening, teaching and
evaluation/feedback. The opening phase ensures students are attending to the task and reviews previous learning.
The teaching phase covers new material or re-teaches previous material. The evaluation/feedback phase assesses the
students' understanding of the material and forms the basis of the next lesson content. Teaching techniques such as
prompting, modelling and reinforcement will depend on the needs and the ability of the student. Different types of
prompting and different levels of reinforcement are considered. Documenting progress through record keeping is a
growing concern for those responsible for the education of students with special needs. This information, such as,
number of words read correct in one minute, percentage of maths problems completed, can be used to evaluate the
teaching program as well as planning for future teaching.

'Implementing teaching programs in inclusive classrooms' can follow on from the previous section or can be viewed
as a stand alone section. Inclusion education is presented as a philosophy a school will provide for the educational
needs of all students in their community, regardless of their special needs.

Factors that contribute to successful inclusion schools include; a positive attitude of the principal and staff of a school
that welcomes all children and celebrates diversity, a policy of integration that portrays a positive attitude about
students with special needs, classroom teachers providing a positive role model and programs that support inclusion
and access and utilisation of resources to support students with special needs.

Like many instructional techniques and programs adopted from special education inclusion education may lead to all
students being provided with educational programs that will meet their particular needs. The social, physical and
academic environments are considered in the videos and pin point some ideas that will produce discussion within
faculties. For example, students with special needs progress better in academic environments that are based on
cooperation not competition. Or how do you provide the necessary support to students with special needs in a class of
30 students? Teaching strategies such as team teaching, cooperative learning, peer tutoring and computer assisted
instruction provide some opportunities to meet the needs of individual students.

Evaluation traditionally occurs at the end of a teaching unit, half yearly or yearly. However, for students with special
needs evaluation, at regular interval, is used to monitor the students' progress, change the teaching program when
necessary and serves as a tool for accountability. The timing of regular intervals is based on the needs of the student
and the education program, different techniques are considered, as it how programs can be modified. The justification
of what is being taught and how it is being taught is based on the students' progress and provides a valid measure.

Lyle Croyle